I personally would not take someone "talking a lot about how well she grasped things because of all her trips" very seriously at first. She sounds in need to reassert herself, unless that was a response to a serious attack. The people I've known who have really made progress in that sense tend to be humble.

In the past, I saw myself bragging about my experiences with plants and even then I could see that was a bad symptom. Avoid, I would say.

That sounds like a good attitude to me. Take all the time you can to learn and ask questions. You will find things for sure.

Good luck and enjoy the community, this is a great place to stay.